This State to set up Transgender welfare Board

After granting rights to the transgender people to enable them to inherit ancestral agriculture land, the Govt of Uttar Pradesh has decided to set up a transgender welfare board under the state’s social welfare department.

According to a State Govt official, “The Board would work for the welfare & uplift of the transgender community. Along with the state government officers, the board would also include transgender representatives & the members of the social organisations working for the welfare of the transgenders".

He said the transgender welfare board will identify transgenders across Uttar Pradesh, enlist them, issue identity cards, get them enrolled in educational institutions, provide them accommodation under various hostel & housing schemes of the State Govt & launch welfare schemes for the community.

The Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Akhada Parishad had demanded for the constitution of the transgender welfare board after the Apex Court in its order in 2014 recognised transgender as the third gender.

The Central Govt’s expert committee had directed the UP Govt to constitute a welfare board for transgenders, he said.

In March 2019, the State Law Commission, in a proposal submitted to the Govt, had raised the demand for a law acknowledging the inheritance rights of the ‘third gender’.

The commission’s chairman Justice AN Mittal had drawn the attention of the Govt towards the inheritance laws that missed the transgenders.

During the monsoon session, the legislative assembly passed the UP Revenue Code Bill, 2020 to allow the transgender people in the state to inherit ancestral agriculture land. 

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